An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

What Cao said was truly alarming, and An Lingrong couldn't help but feel uneasy after hearing it.

The Forbidden City, which was thought to be the most heavily guarded city in the world, actually had so many loopholes that could be exploited by anyone. Anyone would be alarmed to hear this, let alone the emperor.

An Lingrong couldn't help but look up at the emperor, only to see that his face was deep and his eyes were as dark as the night, revealing no emotion whatsoever. She then turned to look at Zhen Huan.

The emperor was already concerned about this matter. Now, not only has he discovered that someone in the palace is disregarding the safety of the royal family for personal gain, but he has also discovered that the ringleader of the rebellion is none other than one of his own concubines. The emperor will surely be furious and will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly.

An Lingrong and Zhen Huan originally only wanted to use this scheme to settle their past affairs, so they could stop being puppets manipulated by others and no longer be implicated. However, they did not want to be implicated too much as a result.

Thinking of this, An Lingrong's heart couldn't help but flutter. But looking at Zhen Huan sitting opposite her, she remained completely calm and composed.

Zhen Huan had just suffered a setback in front of the emperor, and now she sat to the side, her expression seemingly still showing a hint of determination, but revealing no trace of joy or sorrow.

An Lingrong couldn't detect any change in Zhen Huan's expression, so she could only calm herself down and think that she should just wait and see how things develop.

The emperor looked displeased, while the empress's question seemed ambiguous.

Everyone present was speechless, truly unaware of the Empress's motives.

Cao looked bewildered, not because the new empress had asked the question, but because she had never considered that the pills themselves might have some kind of problem.

Therefore, when asked how the prescription found in the countryside could prove its effectiveness, Cao was first taken aback, then straightened her expression and answered with great certainty: "The prescription I found can never be wrong! I have tried it myself, and medicine that I have tried myself can never be wrong."

The Empress remained silent, but Consort Hua, sitting beside her, couldn't help but frown and ask, "Tell me, how did you test this medicine?"

Upon hearing this, Cao's cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, raising an eyebrow as she looked directly at Consort Hua and said, "Of course, I took it myself for a while first. After taking the medicine, my health was indeed better than before. Not only were my periods the same as when I was a teenager, but my complexion and energy were also much better. After taking it for a while, I also asked a doctor to come and examine me. The doctor diagnosed that this medicine can replenish qi and blood, and can regulate a woman's body to make it easier to conceive. I only handed the pills over to Your Highness after I personally tried it and was sure there were no problems."

At this moment, Consort Cao, who was sitting to the side of Consort Hua, suddenly asked, "May I ask how old you are, wet nurse?"

Cao and Consort Cao share the same surname, so they are considered to be from the same clan. Therefore, Consort Cao does not address Cao as Cao, but rather as "wet nurse," which is both polite and avoids unnecessary gossip.

As expected, upon hearing Consort Cao's gentle voice, Lady Cao felt somewhat relieved, and her gaze towards Consort Cao softened slightly, unlike the hostility she displayed towards Consort Hua. However, Lady Cao was no young woman, and possessed considerable experience. She understood that Consort Cao's question about her age was merely a subtle inquiry into whether her health was still suitable for childbearing. After all, a remedy for conceiving a child, if it merely helped a woman regulate her body, could not truly be called a remedy for conceiving a child.

Cao Shi composed herself and slowly replied, "Your Highness, I am forty-six years old, and indeed no longer the best age to have children, but it is not that I cannot have them." At this point, Cao Shi paused, as if struggling with her thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, she bit her lip hard and sighed, saying, "I know this is a bit shameless, but at my age, I am not as thin-skinned as young girls, so I will just be frank. During the time I was taking the medicine, I had intercourse with my husband. Perhaps because of my age, I had not conceived before, but this time, not long after, I discovered that I was pregnant."

Cao's words were somewhat veiled, but they still touched upon matters of men and women. Although Consort Cao had a daughter, today, not only was the emperor present in the palace, but also male guards and other men. Therefore, upon hearing these words, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Even though Consort Jing and Consort Qi had been in the palace for many years, they still looked embarrassed upon hearing these words. Not to mention the newly favored concubines, who all blushed upon hearing this.

But then Consort Hua spat out, "Bah! To say such shameless things in front of nobles is utterly shameless."

Cao was not angry when she heard this. She just looked at Consort Hua coldly and said, "I am a country woman and my behavior is naturally crude. But my ancestors have been raising children and doing the same thing. It is a pity that I am not well-educated and do not know how to say it so as not to offend your ears, Your Highness."

"I know my crimes are heinous and I would have long since perished leaving the Forbidden City. What do I care about shame or disgrace? Your Majesty, if there's anything else you wish to know, please ask directly."

Seeing the emperor's expression change slightly, Su Peisheng quickly stopped Cao Shi from speaking, "One must not be disrespectful in front of His Majesty."

Cao then restrained herself and stopped looking at Consort Hua.

Having served in the palace for many years, Consort Hua, favored by the Emperor, had always been a woman of her word. How could she tolerate being publicly rebuked by a lowly wet nurse? However, Su Peisheng was the Emperor's closest eunuch, whose words and actions always pleased the Emperor. Since Su Peisheng had spoken, she couldn't continue the argument, but remaining silent was truly unacceptable.

Consort Hua's face flushed with anger, her phoenix eyes glaring at Cao Shi. "You uncouth woman! I'd like to ask you, you claim to be pregnant, so the child should have already been born. Where is the child now?"

Cao glanced at Consort Hua, then stubbornly refused to speak again.

When everyone saw Cao's reaction, which seemed to indicate that she had gone all out and dared to contradict Consort Hua in front of everyone, they all felt that something was amiss.

Consort Hua, Cao, remained silent. Confused and unaware of the situation, the consort assumed that Cao's lie had been exposed and that she could not produce evidence of childbirth. Consort Hua then showed a smug expression, but before she could speak, Consort Duan across from her spoke first.

Consort Duan looked at Madam Cao and asked, "You said this remedy would work, and you were even willing to test it on yourself. But when I asked you about your child's whereabouts, you hesitated and remained silent. Why is that? Is there something wrong with the child?"

Among all the concubines in the harem, Consort Duan was always the most composed and never got entangled in trivial matters. Therefore, Consort Duan's question caught the emperor's attention, and he listened intently.

Although Cao was kneeling, Consort Duan, sitting to the side, could see clearly that Cao's heart was pounding and her eyes were red, clearly showing that she was forcibly enduring it.

Seeing this, Consort Duan said gently, "Don't worry, the Emperor is a wise ruler and will not implicate your family because of your mistake. As long as you explain the whole story clearly, I guarantee that your young child will be safe and sound."

Upon hearing this, tears finally rolled down Cao's cheeks. After a moment of relief, she continued, "It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you where my child is, but my child died two months after birth."